Watched (15 page)

“Congratulations, you saved the woman who stalked you for money.” John spat at Alexandra, the wad of body fluid falling far short of its mark. “Happy with your little Florence Nightingale act? You always did put your job before your family.”

A bitter laugh ripped itself out of Alexandra. “Yes. That’s right. You put surveillance cameras in my home, paid someone to harass me, tried to kill Hunter with a truck and knocked me out to bring me to an abandoned apartment in the middle of nowhere. But please, go ahead and tell me how it’s my fault because I save lives.”

“It was for Simon.” John’s pout seemed overly staged, like a silent film star’s imitation of sadness.

“Which part, exactly, was for Simon?” She didn’t look at him. “Why would you ever assume any of this would make him happy?”

“I needed to be sure, don’t you understand? I had to know Simon was safe.” John’s voice cracked as he spoke. “He needed a father to watch over him, to make sure you were doing everything right. I couldn’t be near for a while because of what happened, but he needed me. If I hadn’t been watching, who knows what you might have done? As it was, you planned everything so I saw all your little escapades with your new fling.”

Alexandra spun on her ex-husband. “What the hell are you talking about?”

John’s expression screwed into disgust. “Oh, now you’re pretending you didn’t know the cameras were there. Don’t deny it, you deliberately staged scenes in front of them to make me angry.”

Alexandra let out a long sigh, then stood and stomped to his side. “John.” She crouched down, then laid a hand on his knee with a smile while she pushed the needle of a syringe into his neck. With the ease of long training, she found the artery and injected him with the sedative he had used on her. “Shut up.”

“Uh.” The familiar voice cut through the silence.

Alexandra leapt to her feet and spun around. “Elise!”

The Indian woman looked almost comical in her confusion. So did Hunter, who stood right behind her. Alexandra laughed, unsure whether she was laughing at their expressions or for the joy of seeing them again. She rushed to Hunter, jumping into his arms.

Hunter smiled. “Did we interrupt?”

“Nope.” Alexandra’s grin felt like it was going to crack her face. “You got here just in time.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Alexandra

She pulled herself out of the hospital bed. The doctors had insisted on keeping Alexandra overnight Wednesday and all through Thursday to watch for anything unexpected, although she had told them she was fine.

“My scrapes will heal by themselves,” she groused. “There’s no point to dragging it out.”

Hunter smiled and offered his hand. “I’m glad they kept you a little longer. Even if it’s a useless precaution, it’s better to be safe.”

Alexandra wrinkled her nose. “I missed your party, too.” The disruption of her daily life upset her more than it should.

“I did too,” Hunter whispered, leaning close with a conspiratorial smile. “There will be plenty of time to be a wild party animal when you’re well.”

“You know what I mean!”

Hunter nodded, turning serious. “I can’t wait to get back to normal life either.”

Alexandra sighed in agreement. She’d spent her hospital stay explaining what had happened to police officers, filling out reports, and signing more papers than she could keep straight. It was time to go home. To her surprise, she found herself imagining “home” with Hunter, instead of by herself. At one time, the change would lead to worry. Now it gave her a warm feeling.

As Hunter helped Alexandra out the door, Detective Caldwell met them with a small paper bag and three cups of coffee. “Can I get a moment of your time before you go? I had an officer get the coffee and some bagels from the shop across the street. Least I can do.”

It was dark, but he led them down a small lighted path to a circle of green metal benches. Alex accepted the coffee, the smell of french roast washing over her. The hot coffee, followed by a bite of cream cheese and bagel, calmed a hunger she hadn’t known she had. Hunter was digging into his bagel as well, and taking sips of his coffee.

Caldwell cleared his throat. “If it helps any, John is in worse shape than the two of you put together. His nose is broken, dislocated knee, and he has a head injury they think will cause permanent paralysis on his right side.” He smiled grimly. “You did some damage.”

Alexandra shrugged sheepishly, but Hunter grinned. “Yeah, she really is something, isn’t she.”

Caldwell nodded, sipping his own coffee before looking at his feet. He leaned against a metal bench, one hand in his pocket. “I should have sent a protective detail to follow you, but even they couldn’t have stopped all of this.”

Alexandra shook her head. “He would have just come at us another way.” She shivered slightly, and Hunter wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “He was determined he was doing what was right for Simon. I don’t know if anything would have stopped him.”

The detective nodded, his gaze far away. “Anyway, the surveillance equipment in your home had plenty of prints on it, all matching John’s. We’ve got a mountain of evidence against him, enough to put him away for a while. Mrs. Louangrath has agreed to testify against him for a reduced sentence. You won’t see him for a long while.”

Relief filled her as she took a long drink. It warmed her sore throat.

Hunter smiled. “We’ll take any good news we can get.” He told the officer, lifting his cup in a mock toast.

Caldwell smiled faintly, standing upright. “Well, more good news then. Mr. Bennet’s apartment was clean, so you can safely stay there if you choose.” He looked at Alexandra. “Your apartment is clean as well, but there are a few holes you might want to fix before moving back in.”

Hunter drained his coffee, standing and holding a hand out to help lift Alexandra to her feet. “Good, because I’d like Alex home as soon as possible.”

“If you’d like to avoid the cab fare, I can take you home in the squad car? I’d like to see the two of you get there safely.” The detective pointed them toward the parking lot.

As they settled into the squad car, Alexandra snuggled against Hunter. The long drive buzzed by as she slowly faded into sleep, surrounded by his warmth.

After a shower and a meal, Alexandra felt much more human. She snuggled against Hunter on his couch, an identical twin of her own. The rise and fall of his broad chest was soothing. “What kind of trouble will you get into for missing the party?”

“Oh, nothing special. Rubber snakes in the mailbox maybe.” Hunter wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bending his head to nuzzle her neck. Alexandra’s body responded instantly, her nipples tightening as he nipped at the base of her neck. “I promised a visit next week, to make up for it. I’d like you to come along.”

She nodded, and they lay in silence for a long time. Slow strokes of his hands counted off the minutes, and soon her breathing matched his.

“I’m so sorry for letting him hurt you,” Hunter told her, his voice heavy with regret.

She pulled away from him, amazed to find the guilt in his eyes. “What are you talking about? I barely have a scratch. There’s no need to coddle me, Hunter.”

He smiled, running a finger along her jawline. “I know. You handled yourself brilliantly, but I don’t like the idea of you being hurt.”

“I know how you feel,” she told him, shivering in horror as her brain replayed the wreck, crumpling metal almost swallowing him. “I thought… when John hit the car…” The lump in her throat cut off any chance of speaking, and her chest felt like it was collapsing inward. She couldn’t say it. The fear of losing him turned her stomach. Alexandra swallowed hard and tried again. “In the past few weeks, I’ve been happy with you. Happier than I thought I would ever be. John tried to take you from me. I thought I’d lose you before we got a chance to start our life together.”

“I wouldn’t miss that chance even if the whole world tried to stop me.” He shifted under her and turned her around. A sigh stole from his lips as he pulled her close and stroked her hair. His strong hands sent waves of sensation rolling under her skin, and she took in a sharp breath when he spoke, his lips inches from hers. “I’m never leaving you, for as long as you want me.”

Alexandra swallowed hard. "I love you." She whispered, ducking to kiss him on his broad chest. She felt him take a breath and hold it, then looked up to find his gaze burrowing into hers. “I was afraid to say it before, and then…” Alexandra shrugged, her voice fading behind emotion. “I thought I’d lost my chance to tell you.”

Hunter swept a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you, too.”

She tilted her face up to kiss him, and their lips met in a quiet storm of passion. She opened her mouth to his probing tongue and let him take everything he wanted from her. He explored her mouth achingly slowly. Their lips molded to each other, a counterpoint to the fire which shot through her. Alexandra gasped. Her body hummed with desire.

He broke the kiss, a grin on his face as he looked at Alexandra. “In fact, I’ve thought of a perfect way to end the evening.” He laid her back against the couch, slowly stripped off her clothes and kissed every inch of skin he exposed until she was naked under his fully clothed body. She moaned, pressing against him and seeking friction against her taut, aching nipples.

She pulled at his belt desperately, but he batted her hands away. “Not yet.”

He kissed her lips lightly before he nipped, kissed and licked a path down her body, his lips warm against her skin. With every touch, he came closer to the hot center of her arousal. He nipped at the skin just below her belly button. Of their own accord, her legs opened and her hips rose in offering. Her clit felt heavy, eager for his attention.

He dipped his head between her legs, sucking gently before swiping his tongue over her swollen nub. She gasped his name and he chuckled in response. The deep vibrations against her core made her arch upward and claw at the couch.

His mouth teased her, his tongue sliding between her folds before returning to her clit. Slow licks became faster as his hands roved over her body, caressing her gently and making her pulse race as raw need coursed through her.

Alexandra laced her fingers through his dark hair, tugging upward with small, impatient pulls. He followed her pleading hands slowly, allowing her to strip off first his shirt, then his jeans. Finally he knelt over her, his stiff shaft a hard weight against her.

He leaned on the back of the couch with one elbow, smiling down at her as he rolled the bud of one nipple between his fingers. “There’s one thing I want to do tonight. I’ve been tested, and I’m clean.”

Alexandra pressed her hips against his, confusion making her brows draw together. “So am I.”

“I want to make love to you, and feel you around me.” As he spoke, he let his shaft slide over her wet folds. The friction against her sensitized clit pulled a gasp from her, and a rush of moisture made her ready for him. He opened a drawer in the small end table next to the couch. He pulled his hand back to reveal a black velvet ring box. “But I don’t want to do this unless I know you’re mine, forever.” Alexandra’s jaw dropped as he opened the box.

A huge diamond ring, surrounded by a halo of tiny diamonds, twinkled in the soft light. She looked at him in surprise, her hands moving to cover her mouth. He looked bashful for the first time.

“I wanted to do this sometime more romantic.” He explained, pulling the ring from the box and slipping it on her finger. “But if tonight has taught me anything, it’s you can never be sure what the future holds.”

He rocked his hips again, sending sparks of need shooting under her skin. She clamped emptily with the need for him, and she gasped. “It’s a little early to be getting engaged, isn’t it?” It didn’t feel early. The time they had spent as a couple was short, but their their closeness had begun long before. She trusted him. She loved him. Did they need anything else? “Maybe if we have a long engagement.”

He smiled, sliding over her again and pressing himself against her. She moaned, wrapping her legs around him and trying to pull him inside, but he stopped. “I’ve wanted you to be mine for months.” He said, reaching down to stroke her with his fingers. She cried out as another rush of moisture soaked him. “A wedding tomorrow or in ten years, it doesn’t matter. Tell me you’ll marry me.” He pressed against her insistently, waiting.

“Yes, oh Hunter please, yes, I’ll marry you.” Alexandra’s promise ended on a long moan as he thrust himself inside. She shuddered as the solid heat of him filled her, little pinpricks of passion spreading through her body.

He groaned as he pulled himself out and thrust in again. “You’re so amazing. So silky and soft.” He took her in a long, passionate lovemaking which drew every bit of pleasure from her body before they came together, the hot spill of his seed matching the pulses of her own orgasm.

As they lay together, trembling with the aftermath of their lovemaking, the ring caught her eye. She frowned. Where had she seen this before?

“What’s wrong?” He asked, worried. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, I was just wondering. I think I’ve seen this ring before.” She told him, then blushed. It seemed silly.

He laughed, kissing her before pulling her to cuddle against him. “You have seen it before, Alex. Two months ago.”